Pathetic defeat fuels questions

Bangladesh suffered a punishing 5-0 defeat against Tajikistan in their away leg fixture of the Asian Cup qualifiers play-offs at Dushanbe last night. And it served as a rude reminder to the country's football think-tank that a moth-long preparation by suspending a major domestic competition actually counted for nothing.

Besides, the return of Dutch coach Lodewijk de Kruif at the helm also did not help his unimaginative charges to avoid the embarrassment against the central Asian team that scored an identical 5-0 win when the two teams last met in the Tajik capital in their World Cup qualifying fixture last November. It was Bangladesh's third five-nil defeat against Tajikistan at Dushanbe. Bangladesh's only creditable result against them was a 2-1 win in Sri Lanka in 2010.

The home side took a 3-0 lead at half time and were hardly troubled by an opposition that lacked quality and skill in a lop-sided 90 minutes. Ergashev Jahongir struck the first two goals in the space of 11 minutes before Parvizjon Umarboev hit the third in the 33rd minute. Ergashev Davronjon and Sharipov Umedzhon put their names in the score sheet after the break.

De Kruif and his boys will get an opportunity to salvage some pride when Bangladesh play their home leg against Tajikistan on June 7 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, where the Dutch led his side to a 1-1 draw against them last June. 

But the build up to the qualifying fixture that saw the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) suspending the Federation Cup, a prelude to the Professional Football League involving the top clubs, to accommodate uninterrupted training for the national team eventually proved futile and a waste of precious time for the domestic season which is already well behind schedule.

Unfortunately the month-long training has not changed anything for a team that lacked imagination in attack and looked hopelessly out of sorts while defending. In a game where Bangladesh chased the shadows they appeared vulnerable whenever the opposition attacked. The defence was so disappointing that it could not negotiate what appeared to be a regulation free-kick from the right. It not only sailed over the virtual seven-man wall but also landed on the vacant right-hand post, where one of two unmarked Tajik forwards gleefully stabbed the ball home for their fourth goal.

Watching Bangladesh play on the internet not only hurt their loyal football fans but also raised a serious question on whether the result could have been worse had this brainless bunch not taken part in the month-long intense training, putting everything on hold.